116 POPULAR EEEOES. 



as there are glands in the hollow pitcher which 

 seem designed to absorb nourishment. It can 

 hardly be doubted that the Sundew and Venus' Fly- 

 trap do receive some benefit from the insects which 

 .they entrap in their strangely modified leaves. The 

 common Martynia also seems to have the power of 

 digesting and absorbing some portions of the small 

 insects which are caught upon its numerous gland- 

 ular hairs. Other even more remarkable examples 

 are known, but in all such cases there are special 

 glands for the preparation and absorption of the 

 food. The ordinary surface of a plant has very 

 little power of absorbing food of any kind except 

 gases from the air. Even the food absorbed by 

 the roots must be in a completely dissolved con- 

 dition. Bearing these facts in mind no one can 

 credit the stories that plants can be nourished to 

 any visible extent by coarse food introduced directly 

 into their growing stems or fruits — even if it were 

 possible to do so without causing them to decay. 



